


Calaveras

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Case Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23076520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: JT just knows Bright will be excited by this strange new case.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Calaveras

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vanillafluffy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver owns it 
> 
> **Notes:** written for vanillafluffy in comment_fic for the prompt of Any, any, Day of the Dead

XXX

JT leaned over to Dani as they watched Edrisa work and said, “Bet he’s going to lose his mind when he sees this.”

Dani surveyed the scene and the victim who had sugar skulls placed over her eyes and then she shook her head. “No bet.”

JT snorted before turning to Gil who was making some old-school notes on paper as Edrisa bagged the victim’s hands. “He is coming, right Gil?” Not that he was a hundred percent sold they needed Bright but JT was smart enough to know while he, Dani and Gil were perfectly good detectives, having Bright around did make things click more quickly. At this point, he rather enjoyed Malcolm’s maniac energy. He wouldn’t say they were friends exactly but he’d come to appreciate the skinny danger magnet. 

“He was at his mother’s so it’ll take him a while to get here,” Gil replied, not looking over.

Dani tapped JT’s arm and nodded to the corner half a block up. A car had pulled over and a man in a suit tried to hurry around to open the door but Malcolm was already out. He hurried over in something JT hadn’t ever expected him to be wearing: khakis, a hoodie reading _Be Courageous with Your Story_ and a T-shirt, of all things, with the words _To Write Love On Her Arms_. JT couldn’t help raising his eyebrows as Bright hustled up to the crime scene. Who knew Bright could be a normal dude? 

“Sorry, I was at a charity function at Mother’s,” he said, peering around Gil’s shoulder to get a peek at the body.

“That’s a good one,” Dani said, her voice oddly tight. She’d gone pale.

JT got the idea he should know it but it wasn’t clicking.

“I thought so. It’s one of the Milton charity drives I’m very actively involved in,” Malcolm said, pointing to the victim. “Are those sugar skulls?”

Without waiting for an answer, he slipped closer, almost vibrating as he sneaked a closer look. Edrisa flipped a hand at him, warning him off.

“You’re too close again,” she said and JT was shocked she even worried about that anymore. Bright seemed to have carte Blanche with her. “And they are sugar skulls.”

“Yesterday was the Day of the Dead,” he said, his expression saying today might actually be his own personal Christmas. 

“But is this related or just someone exploiting the holiday?” Gil asked.

Malcolm shook his head, grinning broadly. “I have no idea but I can’t wait to find out. There is a large Hispanic populace here and of course it’s become trendy if culturally appropriated.”

“I think it’s related,” Edrisa said. “Later once we have everything bagged, you can see it more closely but the same name is inspired on the foreheads of the skulls, Marisol.”

“Is that her name?” JT asked. “We haven’t found her purse yet.”

Edrisa shrugged. “I haven’t had time yet to check for pockets. There is a rosary tucked into her hand and maybe something more but I have to get her back to the morgue before I break rigor to find out exactly what she’s hiding there.” She tapped the victim’s bagged hand. 

“Is that something reddish smeared on her cheek?” Malcolm bent over to get a better look.

“It could be _flor de Jamaica_ ,” Dani said and when all eyes flicked her way, she added, “It’s hibiscus tea that’s popular for the holiday. I grew up next door to a Mexican family and played with Javier all the time. His mother would give us that.”

“Thanks, I’ll test for that,” Edrisa said. “We’re ready to transport her, sir.” She directed that to Gil who nodded.

“All right. We’d better check on the canvass,” he said. 

“Were there any other victims like this one?” Malcolm sounded somewhere between thoughtful and hopeful to JT.

Unfortunately, he’d had the same thought. “Not that we’ve heard about but this feels like there should be more, doesn’t it?”

Malcolm’s eyes lit up. “I agree. This is fascinating and I don’t think it’s going to be easy.”

“Not what I want to hear, bro,” JT said. “But I’m with you on that.”

He didn’t like it but they could only follow the evidence, no matter how weird it was. JT wondered how much he’d have to hear about the holiday but Malcolm was already expounding on the other concurrent holiday, the Catholic triduum of All Hallowtide, talking so fast JT was sure he’d eaten a whole bag of Halloween candy by himself. It was going to be a long, weird case, no doubt about it.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Author’s Note** The charity Malcolm is supporting is a real one, [ To Write Love on Her Arms](https://twloha.com/) and one worth looking at, dedicated to mental health help and suicide prevention. It seemed like a cause he might get behind.


End file.
